Practice Integration and ACOs: What Physicians Need to Know
The MMS Physician Practice Resource Center hosted a two-hour
program about the issues that physician practices need to consider for
integration and alignment with accountable care organizations, hospitals and other health systems.
MMS President Ronald W. Dunlap, MD, opened the program by
arguing that physician-led systems provide the best opportunities for physicians
to control their environment and their practice of medicine.
Chris Collins, principal of ECG Consulting Management, discussed
practice readiness for ACOs, the importance of the right governance framework,
and the essential components of clinical integration.
He noted also clinical integration and financial integration
are not synonymous. “I can cite many examples where there are large systems
with 700 employed physicians, but extraordinarily fragmented,” he said.
Mark Waxman, an attorney with Lardner Foley LLP, provided an
overview of the legal issues for clinical and practice integration, the
financial standards that ACOs must meet to assume financial risk.
Panel Discussion
A summary of the dialogue and panel discussion following the remarks by Dr Dunlap, and Mr. Collins and Mr. Waxman.
